WebJunction

Three is a magic number -- bears, pigs, wishes, and now... WEBINARS!

 This week, three MaintainIT webinars are scheduled. Participate in one, two, or all three if you like!

It's Columbus Day. I probably would have forgotten about the holiday, but while trying to complete my errand list for the day (mail package at post office, return books to library...), I was reminded. To be honest, the Columbus on my mind right now is the Columbus Metropolitan Library, because Helene Blowers works there.

I just returned from Sacramento, where I attended the ARSL conference for the first time. It is now on my short list of favorite conferences to attend.  I'll list a few highlights... things that I am thinking about now as I return to "regular" life. 

Every month MaintainIT and WebJunction collaborate to provide a 30-minute webinar related to public access computing and MaintainIT Cookbook content. I just finished "dress rehearsal" for tomorrow's webinar, starring Robin Hastings... and I can tell this is going to be one of the best webinars yet.

What a trip! As usual, ALA was crazy--so much to do, so many people to see, and of course, lots of great sessions where inspiration and learning made an appearance, which was pretty terrific. One particularly fun session was the WebJunction and MaintainIT Project Library 2.0 Forum, in which librarians were invited to chat in small groups about 2.0 technologies and ideas.

Want to start a new project, but don’t know what to do first? Feel strapped for time?

Today I attended a WebJunction webinar on TechAtlas, a tool both small and large libraries alike have used to create comprehensive technology plans. One terrific way TechAtlas can help is by guiding brainstorming sessions. The software asks key questions that can help anticipate future needs, and sometimes that's the hardest part.

But here's my question: for those of you who have created (or ARE creating) a technology plan--either with the help of TechAtlas or not--what happened BEFORE you sat down to craft it?